Blackjack Online Casino Game

One of the most well-known games in history (and that’s not just including casino games!), Blackjack is a classic game of chance that encompasses the thrill of gambling and classic playing cards…

And today, we’re going to be looking at the game itself – and what exactly it’s made up of. We’ll cover how to play… where it originated from… and a few different game variations… so; let’s get started!

It’s estimated that over 200 million Blackjack hands are dealt every day, in casinos, and online; this just goes to show how popular the game really is, and there are many explanations for why it’s such a popular, commonly-played game.

Most crucially; it’s such a very simple game. Anyone can pick it up in just a few minutes, as the rules are actually quite easy to learn, and unlike some of the other casino table games, like Craps, and Roulette, there aren’t many different bets or decisions you need to make – which makes gameplay fairly straightforward, ensuring players of all skill levels can begin playing!

Blackjack: Game Overview

The main objective of Blackjack, is to beat the Croupier (dealer) in order to win. To do so, you must try to make your hand – the cards dealt to you – add up to a better number than that of the dealer, and in Blackjack, the magic number is 21. 21 is the best possible hand (aside from Blackjack itself), and can’t be beaten.

If you manage to make a better hand than that of the dealer, you win, whereas if his or her hand is better, they win – it’s that simple.

Blackjack is played with more or one decks of cards, and depending on the table you play at, you can play anywhere from one, to seven hands at once.

Before the game begins, you must select how much you wish to bet (this is easily achieved online, by simply clicking on your desired bet figure), and once you’re happy with the wager, you press the “Deal”, or “Play” button.

You will then be dealt two cards, and the dealer will also deal themselves a card (European Blackjack games see the dealer deal one card initially, while American Blackjack sees them deal two.)

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Once your cards are dealt, the play then begins, and you can choose to either take more cards – if you want to try and make your hand closer to 21 – or you can stand, if you’re happy you have a good chance of beating the dealer.

In certain circumstances, you’ll also have various other possibilities, which we will discuss.

If you want to improve your hand (or at least try to), you may take additional cards. You can take as many as you like, but if your hand-value goes over 21, you then lose – something which is coined as “a player going “bust” – and this results in you automatically losing your wager, and the game ending.

Once you’ve taken as many cards as you want (or after you’ve stood, if you chose to do so), the dealer will then play their own hand. The dealer must take additional cards until their hand values at least 17 or they go bust.

Once their hand totals 17, 18, 19, 20, or 21… or once they’ve gone bust… the result of the game will be calculated, and if your hand has indeed beaten the dealers – or if they go bust – you win, and will be paid at even money.

Splitting, Doubling, and Surrendering.

Dependent on the blackjack variation you’re playing, alongside the hand you are dealt, you may be given the option to either split, double, or surrender your hand. We will cover what each of these means, below:

You will have the option to split the cards you have been dealt into two hands, if your first two cards are of the same value.

If you decide to do this, you have to place additional chips – equal to the value of your first bet – and each card will then be treated as a separate hand, meaning both will be dealt another card.

You subsequently play those two hands as normal, with each hand acting independently from one another.

In certain situations, you'll be able to double your stake once your initial two cards have been dealt, although it’s worth noting that some blackjack games allow you to double on all hands, while others only allow it on a hand value that totals nine, 10, or 11.

You are dealt one card only when you double. No matter what this card is, you then have to stick, and hope that your hand beats that of the dealers.

In cases where your first two cards total 10 or 11, and the dealer shows a four, five, or a six – it’s virtually must for you to double, and you stand a fantastic chance of yourself making a good hand, whilst the dealer busts. Hold the same 10 or 11 against the dealers ace however, and doubling is not such a good idea, as there is far less chance of you winning the hand.

While not overly common, surrendering is an option found in some – particularly American – blackjack games, and after your first two cards have been dealt, you are given the option to surrender them, which ends the hand, but returns 50% of your stake.

This can be beneficial in certain situations, one of which would be if the dealer shows an ace and you have a low value card…

But it is generally not advised to surrender, as the house edge is fairly significant.

Conclusion

Blackjack is a fun and simple game to play, and while it may seem a little intimidating at first, most players can generally pick it up within just a couple of hands, and thanks to many online casinos offering very low table limits, you can now enjoy playing this exciting game from as little as 50p a hand!

So, go ahead and check the game out yourself today, and see how your luck fares!